Connecticut western news., 1887-08-24
SLEEPING WONDERS.
FeatS of Some Men While in the
 Arms of Morpheus.
Falling Asleep at the Stake and
 in Battle.

Falling Asleep at the Stake and
 in Battle.
 Sleep in most individuals lasts for the space of eight hours. Exceptions to this statement are numerous; whether these arise from duty or laziness we shall not venture to examine. Sir E. Corrington, the famous naval officer, when midship- man, could watch on deck for nineteen hours this left onls five for sleep, which in his casdwas most profound, so pro- found tbet no noise was sufficiently strong to waken him. Yet if the word 'signal!" was whispered in his car he awoke and was on deck instantly.
 Reporters of the House of Commons require great eAertions to keep them selves from sleeping. A few years ago a distinguished member of the ''gentle- men in the gallery" took down speech while he was sleeping. His statement rests on his oath. Calvin tells of a friend of reading aloud to him while asleep. The organ of vision was alone active
 Coleridge, the dreaming philosopher, composed "Cubla Khan'' Gone of his poems) while fast asleep. Next morn ing he was sure there had been an ac- quisition to his literature, but was too negligent to write the stanzas. A few days afterward he attempted to recall the verses, but they had for the most part fled, and the poem as it now stands is but fragment.
 Every one knows that extreme fatigue induces sleep, and this in spite of sur rounding relations, which under ordi- nary circumstances would hinder any one from resting. Previous to the short ening of the hours of work factory chill dren frequently fell asleep while work ing at the machines, although we'll aware that they would incur severe punishment by doing so. The North American In dian, at the stake of torture, has been known to go tosleep on the least remis- sion of agonys and will slumber until the fire is applied to awaken him.
 It is on record that during the heat of the battle of the Nile some of the over fatigued boys fell asleep upon the deck, and during the attack upon Rangoon, in the Burmese war, the captain of one of the steam frigates most actively en- gagged, worn out by the excess of con- tinued mental tension, fell asleep and remained perfectly unconscious for two hours, within yard of his largest guns, which were being worked energetically the whole period.
 Habit and time, place and circum- stances, predispose us all to sleep The celebrated pedestrian, Captain Barclay, when accomplishing his extraordinary feat of walking 1000 miles in as many successive hours, obtained st last such a mastery over himself that he fell asleep the instant he lay down. The doctors
 
 the night, although the noise is sufficient to rouse the wearied husband; but should child in the nursery cry, then the mother, oblivious to all other sounds, hears at once the infants voice.
 It is related that the Abbe Faria, who acquired notoriety through his power of inducing somnambulism, was accustomed merely to place his patient in an arm chair, after telling him to shut his eyes and collect himself, and pronounce in a strong voice ssdormez," which was usu- ally successful.
 There seems to be no limit to the won- ders displayed by man in sleeping. Con- dorcet, the mathematician, solved one of his most difficult problems while asleep "a problem, too, which puzzled him during his waking hours. A professor of theology in the University of Basic once wrote sermon while asleep; he found it on his desk next morning. The preceding night he could not grapple with the subject as he desired, but the performance of his sleeping hours was quite satisfactory to him.
 Jenny Lind was one of the most cele- brated singers of her time. No one could rival her powers except factory girl, who sang sometimes better than the famous Jenny. The girl could not at tempt any difficult piece when awake, but when sleeping she sang so correctly, so like the renowned artiste that it was difficult to distinguish between their voices. On one occasion Mile. Lind heard the girl, and even tested the ac- curacy of her powers by giving her long and elaborate chromatic exercise. This the sleeping girl performed, much to the wonder of the famous Swedish singer. -[London Telegraph.
 Why Tramp Sticks to Railroad.